


All I Ask

by BlooregardJay



Series: The Hardened Earth Saga [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Background Zuko/Mai, Drinking, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, background Aang/Katara - Freeform, of course Toph says fuck, toph says fuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:46:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25880800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlooregardJay/pseuds/BlooregardJay
Summary: Spanning a few years, these are the events that eventually lead to "Missing in Action". A companion piece, exploring the love that blooms between to friends and dives deep into the feelings Toph has been ignoring for so long. Taking place after our heroes have already established Republic City, and the Fire Lord finally decides to marry his life-long lover.This will most likely be a slow burn and I will most likely be updating both this and MIA to keep up the Tokka love.(Inspired by Adele's 'All I Ask', because it hurts."If this is my last night with you, hold me like I'm more than just a friend."
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Toph Beifong/Sokka
Series: The Hardened Earth Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878052
Comments: 10
Kudos: 35





	All I Ask

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there, friends!! I hope this holds everyone over while I work a ridiculous amount and get jump-started in drawing. I have been learning a lot on Procreate so hopefully ya'll can see my art soon (if I ever get something drawn)
> 
> As *always*, thank you for any kudos, comments, and critiques you can deliver, enjoy!!

There was no escaping the brutal feelings. No escaping the pounding of her heart, no escaping the sweat on her palms. It just started to bubble into feelings of... _ No, he’s not yours. You have no right to be jealous, knock it off. _ Toph takes another pull from the glass in her hand, rolling her eyes at herself, but fixes her face as soon as she feels the footsteps get closer to the sitting room. She counts four people and grabs glasses for everyone, most definitely to hide her own toxic trait of sipping whiskey to quell the bitter feelings, but she didn’t wanna hear it from Sugarqueen. “Are you guys ready to _ party  _ it  _ up?”  _ Sokka yells behind her and she smiles, turning around to start handing out glasses. 

“Just make sure someone  _ else _ is on Sokka duty this year, I don’t want to peel you up off the floor again.” Suki says, taking the glass from Toph’s hand, clanking her glass into hers carefully as a thank you and Toph scoffs at her.

“Woah, woah. It isn’t a wedding if Captain Boomerang isn’t passed out on the floor, let the man have a good time!”

“ _ Thank you _ , Toph. This is why  _ she’s  _ my drinking partner and not you.” Sokka shots back at Suki as she rolls her eyes. Toph smirks, willing her entire body to ignore the comment and thankfully, the whiskey does a good job of taking the edge off. She holds the other two glasses out for Katara and Aang to take from her as a sigh heard from Katara as she looks at her brother, Toph knowing fully well what Katara sighs at as a laugh bubbles out of her while she sips the whiskey.

“We weren’t in a  _ palace _ for our wedding, so please don’t tear this place up like you did at home.” 

“Poor Gran-Gran. So much vomit...so much to clean.” Aang says in a quiet voice as he too takes a sip, getting a few laughs from the others. He wasn’t wrong though, cleaning after that wedding took  _ days  _ and Sokka was still receiving death threats from his grandmother for ruining one of the skin rugs in the hall. The problem with having Toph and Sokka drinking like that in one place though is the lack of control, because if no one is watching them, one eggs the other on and it’s downhill from there. 

They got in trouble at the end of the night for disappearing because absolutely no one could find them and it turns out, falling asleep in the potted plants was absolutely  _ unacceptable  _ behavior.  _ The plants didn’t die though and  _ I  _ wasn’t the one who puked everywhere. My hands are clean.  _ “I plead not guilty. I was just the drinking partner, I didn’t cover the place in upchuck.”

“Ya know, I’m feeling quite attacked right now, I think I’ll stay in my room tonight.”

“Then someone else can explain your disappearance to my nephew, I don’t want to deal with  _ that  _ one.” Everyone’s head snaps to the doorway as Iroh makes his way in to join the fun; the excited greetings booming through the room as Toph pours a glass for him. He thanks her, taking it as he fights the urge to hand it back when the scent burns his nose, but at the risk of looking rude, he chokes a sip down anyways. Drinking alcohol wasn’t really his forte, it was more Ozai’s speed, and he swore the stuff off for years. But the event of the day called for celebration, and celebrate they must! “Are we all ready for the long evening ahead of us? Did we sleep well, did we eat enough lunch?”

“You have been more than accommodating to us, Iroh, we can’t thank you enough! I apologize now just in case we get rowdy later.” Aang says to him, catching a dirty look from his brother-in-law and Iroh puts up a dismissive hand to stop him. 

“Nonsense. This is a celebration of love, and the joining of two families into one. Zuko has not had great luck with a majority of his blood relatives, so he is lucky to have found each and every one of you to surround him today. I cannot thank you all enough for being in his life.” 

“He’s lucky to have you in his life too, Iroh. He wouldn’t be who he is without you, and he had a great role model to look up to.” Katara touches his shoulder as she talks, his hand patting hers lovingly as he shares her smile. 

“Thank you, Katara. It will be interesting to see him grow as a husband and then later, a father! Me, a  _ great- _ uncle! I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

“Oh, spirits, a little baby in the group. Can you imagine a little Zuko running around?” Suki's voice raises excitedly as Toph holds back a gag at the girlish trills her and Katara exchange, washing down the thought with another sip of fire whiskey.  _ Babies puke, babies cry, babies poop. What is cute about babies?  _

“Or worse, imagine a baby like Mai. Kid throws a tantrum and  _ wa-PANG _ !” Sokka karate-chops the air dramatically in front of them. “A knife to your back.” A belly laugh is heard from Iroh as he pictures their brooding child running amok through the halls and it’s not just the whiskey warming him this time. He raised Zuko, he did everything in his power to turn him in the right direction and give him the life he missed out on.  _ This is the legacy the Fire Nation deserved. _

Iroh holds his glass in the center of the circle made by the group, everyone following suit to cheers with Iroh as Suki grabs Toph’s wrist to guide her. “A toast to a new era for the royal family of the Fire Nation. May it be filled with great love and happiness for generations to come.”

“To the Fire Nation!” They say in unison as they all chug the remainder of the fire whiskey, placing the glasses back on the table where Toph found them. 

“Now, let’s get to the courtyard before they marry without us there.” Iroh says, confusing some of the young adults in the process as Toph raises an eyebrow.

“Thought he asked you to marry them instead of the sages.” He sighs, his face sinking as he rubs the back of his neck anxiously.

“He did, but even a man of my age can be...nervous in front of a crowd.” There’s a small bubble of laughter at his anxiety as they all begin to make their way out of the palace. Toph shakes her head at her old friend and pats his back as they lull behind the others to walk together. 

Toph wasn’t very open with many people, but Iroh just had a way of cracking her open, well cracking  _ anyone  _ open for that matter. He was a friend when they needed him most, and a mentor when there was something others couldn’t teach. He taught respect, discipline, and most importantly: forgiveness. It was an entire  _ year _ after the war, Toph heard nothing from Poppy and especially not Lao...it was completely by chance that she stumbled upon her father in Cran—well, what’s now Republic City. 

They wanted to try, they wanted to be in her life, but what stopped them from disappearing again? No one could give Toph the solace she needed, but Iroh came close. Ba Sing Se wasn’t too far from Gaoling, and she needed more than tea the day she visited them again. Iroh always knew what to say, and how to give you the hard truths when they needed to be heard. Zuko had no choice but to share his uncle with Team Avatar.

Guilt hits every one of their stomachs a bit hard when they reach the courtyard to find it  _ completely _ full already and pray that Zuko doesn’t hear about why they arrived as they take their seats at the front. Iroh leaves Toph to her seat as he ascends the staircase, greeted with a hug by his sister-in-law when he reaches the top. His eyes sting as he squeezes her tightly and he can hear her fight back the same tears as she sniffles in his ear. The damage done was to be left behind and forgotten about, a distant memory to push them to do better by their children. Zuko and Mai were just the beginning.

For Toph, there wasn’t really much to be enjoyed at a wedding. Wedding’s were mostly visual. Beautiful dresses, dashing men in regal robes, symbolic words exchanged between husband and wife; it was all just... _ lost _ to her. The only things she enjoyed were the symphonies played by the musicians and that sometimes flowers covered every inch of the area, but her enjoying flowers was a very hidden secret. Scents just  _ got _ to her. Fire lilies were surrounding the courtyard, she held on tight to the scent to get her through the drab ceremony. 

“...everlasting love that will survive the test of time and guide the both of you to the future you seek hand-in-hand.” Iroh’s voice booms through the audience and her heart bites at her. It’s bitten her for years, and the inescapable tightening of her chest drives a deep stake of melancholy through her. She knows she should be happy—no, she  _ is  _ happy. 

Grumpy deserved happiness, he trudged through the great levels of angst and self-deprecation to get here with Sharpness and she was profoundly happy that he finally found that level ground with her. They were on again-off again for a few years there, but with issues like he had, they were bound to have troubles. Every couple does, which is  _ precisely  _ the reason she avoided the troubles Suki and Sokka occasionally had. It wasn’t her table and she refused to get involved. She loved them both, but there was this jealousy that ate at her. 

_ You have no right to be jealous, stupid. Wasn’t yours, never will be yours.  _ She swallows her thoughts as she breathes in the cinnamon-like scent of the lilies to avoid the stinging the vows will do to her.

It wasn’t before long that the eruption of applause and whistles sounded through the palace grounds as Iroh introduced the new Fire Lady. The loudest cheers come from the front row as Team Avatar cheers for their friend, the laughter from the facade of the building infectious as the newlyweds wave enthusiastically to the band of misfits. They knew what they were getting themselves into by inviting their allies-turned-family to their wedding, but Zuko wouldn’t have it any other way. 

The crowds of people begin to make their way to the exit while the royal family invites the dwindled numbers of guests inside to join them for the reception. For this, Toph is grateful because the amount of food and drinks inside is a welcome distraction from the smooching beside her. Weddings were romantic, and spread so much love through the air and admittedly so, she fell for it too at Aang and Katara’s.

Satoru smelled so nice, he was being so sweet all day and he had grown quickly since they first started dating. They all tormented her for the little polar puppy love she was experiencing, and being that it was her first _boyfriend,_ she gave in to the mushiness of it. She could feel his heart flutter when she stepped out of the hut, giving her a pink glow to her cheeks when he called her beautiful and said that “blue was her color”, whatever _that_ meant. She was a fool.

Even then, another rapid heartbeat drowned his out, another man’s compliment still buried his, and deep down, Satoru knew it. He didn’t admit that the reason they ended things wasn’t just because they were growing separate ways, but mostly because she was growing further into Republic City and growing further towards Sokka. She didn’t have to say it, but he knew. 

He always knew.

Toph groans at her own reminiscent feelings and immediately finds the bar. She promised herself she wouldn’t get sloppy again, because that hangover after the last shindig was  _ legendary _ , so she settled for a simple ale to start. She could feel the room for the familiar feet, noting Kiyi’s quick footsteps dodging the elders until she eventually finds her brother and the screaming “ZUZU!” echoed through the room. She sprouted up pretty quickly and her adolescent sweetness was infectious as Toph smiled at the groom’s excited laughter as he swung her around in his arms. 

She moved her foot suddenly to scan around for the softer footsteps and right as she thinks it, they move towards her to do the same thing she did. “Figures you’d beat me here,” Toph turns her head in the direction of the voice and she smirks slightly as Azula joins her, requesting something complicated from the bartender. Vodka, moon peach juice, twist of lemo—eh, she was totally lost. “Don’t go telling my buffoon uncle, I promised I wouldn’t drink but this is…” She trails off with a shake of the head. 

“A lot?” Toph lifts up her mug in support, Azula tapping it slightly with her own glass.

“Precisely.”

“What you do is none of my business, Nu—” She nearly calls her “Nutsy”, in reference to her original nickname, but can’t bring herself to do it, so she sips the alcohol down instead. It was disrespectful to call her that anymore, not even in a joking sense like Toph usually would. After the kemurikage incident, years went by before they had even heard any news on her disappearance. Turns out, she was closer than they thought.

She took refuge in Hira’a actually, where their mother was born, and while hiding out there, she learned of Ursa’s lineage. She believed it would help her to move past the life she so desperately wanted out of, even went as far as to camp out in Forgetful Valley to seek out the Mother of Faces to no avail. She found strength and she healed quietly, or so she believed. Her mental health was left to spiral out of control and it slowly began to overcome her, until her family happened to be passing through for a visit on vacation. Zuko took her home and she finally submitted to the help she so badly needed and deserved. She and Zuko were siblings for the first time in all of their lives, and she didn’t want to admit it, but she was loving it. 

“How’s things going anyway, Hothead?”  _ Yeah. That fits her better.  _ The scoff from beside her causes a smile to break across her lips and she feels Azula turn to lean her back on the bar counter in the same way Toph does.

“I was asked to join Zuzu on his little war council, so long as I promise not to berate the others, but it is so difficult not to. Some of those morons have grown soft since the war ended, and they expect me not to tell them so. They’re old and lazy, he’s lucky to have me there. As for my mother, well....She allows me to join her in her garden, she's taught me many useless ways to pick flowers and we read together most days in the library. Things are actually...nice.” Toph’s eyebrows rise into her hairline, relying on her feet to catch any sort of fault in her statement, but she knows better than to read the former Fire princess. Even so, she sounded genuine, and for Azula, it was surprising.

“Holy shit, you grew a soul. I’m happy for you.” She feels Azula’s heart spike a second as she turns towards her.

“I don’t need judgement from the likes of  _ you.” _

“Ugh, seriously, Azula? I was  _ kidding. _ You know, a joke? Come on, you know me by now, I don’t care.” The two of them exchange sighs in unison, Toph raising her glass once more in apologies and Azula taps her glass again to accept it. They had exchanged a  _ lot _ more in the last few years than just sighs, being that Toph was working to help solidify Earthen Fire relations with other companies across the Fire Nation, and Zuko required Toph’s council from time to time on business matters. 

They had grown quite close since the Fire Lord took his throne, and when Azula was thrown into the mix, things got even  _ more _ interesting. She and Toph argued  _ horribly _ some days, butting heads almost as badly as the siblings did, but it always ended in just steam being burnt off and apologies being extended. Surprisingly, Azula had grown fond of Toph’s presence, admiring her quick wit and lack of patience with stupidity, so the fire princess didn’t truly mind her humor or company. 

Before Azula can continue the conversation, they’re interrupted by quick footsteps making their way towards them and she audibly groans. “Oh, Agni, what does she want?” She remarks loudly as Toph concentrates on the feet, smiling when she realizes it’s just the third Fire Nation sibling and she raises a hand to wave in Kiyi’s direction. 

“Hiya, Toph!”

“What’s up, Sunshine?” The grunt from Kiyi is threatening, but it only makes Toph laugh as she moves to mess her hair up, but is pushed away and ignored.

“Zula, Zuzu wants you.” Azula rolls her eyes at her younger sibling as she crosses her arms firmly as she stays put next to the earthbender.

“Can you not see I am in the middle of a conversation, Thunderbrat?”

“Mommy told you to stop calling me that.”

“Mother also told you to stop stealing the cookies from the kitchen before bed. Wouldn’t want her hearing about  _ that _ , would we?” Toph can feel Kiyi’s pulse quicken as they argue and she stamps her foot at her older sister with a deep growl. Azula lets out a genuine laugh, crouching down to her height. “Oh, please, put the hands away. You’re as scary as Momo. Come, let’s find out what Zuzu wants.” She stands once more, allowing Kiyi to snatch up her hand as they disappear in the sea of people once more and Toph can’t figure out if it’s the beer making her warm anymore or the sibling bonding. 

_ She called him Momo, not winged rat or rodent. That’s growth for ya _ . She smiles as she sips the last of the liquid from the mug, returning it to the counter as she raises her hand for another and takes it with her to find a table.

Scouring for one was difficult, but she ended up seeking a spot off to the side of the dance floor, which was  _ very  _ much alive with the pounding feet matching the rhythm of the band’s music. Even through the congregation in the center of the room, she could feel the airy steps of Aang, his footwork a sight surely to behold as the “ _ ooh’s _ ” and “ _ aah’s _ ” of the audience bellowed through the room as he and Katara showed off. The energy they brought to a party was absolutely infectious and Toph found herself smiling as she watched in her own way, joining in on the applause they received when the song was over. 

She felt Suki and Sokka making their way towards her and she took a long pull from her mug before they sat down with her. “Damn, he can  _ dance _ , I could barely keep up!” Suki remarks, breathlessly as she sits in Sokka’s lap and they share a sloppy kiss that makes Toph wish she couldn’t hear as she retches at them. Sokka answers her with a blow of his tongue before pushing a small glass in her direction, a smile breaking on her face as the strong liquor burns her nose.

“ _Now_ it’s a party, Snoozles!”  
“Damn straight, bottoms up!” They clink their glasses and down the shots, Toph shaking her head as her face twists up at the taste and Suki laughs at both of them.

“I hope whoever is cleaning up tonight is on high-alert.”

“‘ _ I hope whoever is cleaning up tonight is on high-alert.’ _ ” Sokka puts his hands on his hips and repeats her words in the best mocking tone, getting laughs from both women at the table. “We are adults, Suki, don’t kill the vibe.” He pushes a second glass in Toph’s direction and they pound those too, the laughs shared between them bringing an eye rolls from Suki and she flicks his forehead before kissing him once more. 

Even if she couldn’t see it, Toph could  _ hear _ it and feel how much tongue was involved just from the echoing beats into the floor. She desperately starts wishing there were more shots at the table, but settles for the beer again as she takes another chug of it. The music begins to slow down a bit, as do the footsteps around her and she groans quietly to herself as the lovebirds rise from the seat that they share. “Well, Lady Suki, may I have this dance?” Sokka suggests, kissing her hand as he bows slightly to her and she laughs as she shrugs her shoulders.

“I suppose, Sir Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe.” They drift off hand in hand back onto the dance floor, leaving Toph by herself once more as she sighs. She wasn’t one to feel lonely, in a sense, she was a loner and relied on no one. But at a wedding, surrounded by people in love, sitting at a table by yourself, well...she rolled her eyes at her own pathetic self and chugged the remainder of the ale.  _ At least at Twinkletoes’ wedding, I wasn’t all alone. Fuck. _ She sighs as she scans the dancers with her feet, finding Aang and Katara towards the center, so close that they almost share a heartbeat and she smiles slightly at that. 

Their love is one that she wasn’t truly jealous of, and that was because they were each other’s person. Fought side by side, always had each other’s backs, grew together. Soulmates wasn’t something Toph  _ really _ believed it, mostly because it was a hoax and friggin’ stupid, but there was something between them that was just  _ more  _ than love and  _ more  _ than the coincidence of her cracking him from the iceberg. It was like...fate, or something. 

They were meant to be, and Toph admired that. Regardless of what it was, it was something to wish for. They had a love written in the stars, and something to admire for generations to come. A love like that was hard to come by.  _ And I certainly will not find that _ . She swallows the lump she doesn’t know formed in her throat as she runs her finger along the rim of her glass, lost in thought. “Care to dance?” She jumps, more surprised at herself for letting her guard down than she is startled by Iroh in front of her and she chalks it up to the alcohol as she clears her throat. “Oh, sorry. Did I sneak up on you?”

“Pfft, nah. Just thinking. What’d ya say? Dance?  _ HA. _ ” Swallowing the rest of the beer, she shifts to get more comfortable in the seat and Iroh catches the mask go on easily to hide her emotions. It wasn’t the first time he caught it, and it wouldn’t be the last.

“Do not be so stubborn, Toph. You looked so full of anguish.” He extends a hand to lift her’s from the table and she pulls it away before he can grasp it.

“Pass on that, old man, I can’t dance.”

“It’s a slow song, all you need to do is follow my movements. Consider it a favor to a lonely, _old_ _man_ then.” He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She rolls her eyes as she groans, allowing Iroh to take her hand and lead her to the floor. The floor-length dress chosen by Katara hides her feet and allows her to move freely without judgement of her lack of footwear, but it doesn’t save her skin from the frigid marble of the dance floor. It sends shivers up her spine and adds to the anxiety coursing through her as Iroh takes her hand in hers. She finds his shoulder as he lays his hand softly on her midsection. 

It wasn’t him that made her nervous or uncomfortable, it was the reality of dancing in front of people, the feeling of eyes on her even if they weren’t. She wasn’t insecure in the least, but being blind already garnered unwanted attention and when you’re dancing with a famous general and uncle to the Fire Lord, you get that same attention, ten-fold.

Toph takes him a shaky breath, swallowing hard as they spin in small circles to the tune of the soft music. She could feel how relaxed he was and chose to focus on that instead of the dancing, which helped a bit. “I don’t know if anyone has told you tonight, but you look beautiful, Toph,” Iroh says, quiet enough for only her to hear and she smirks slightly as she nods in his direction.

“You look beautiful too, Iroh.” She says, receiving a belly laugh from him and she can’t help but fall victim to its infectious qualities as she laughs with him. 

“Why, thank you. You know, for someone with that great sense of humor and boisterous spirit, I was surprised to see you so stone-faced at your seat in the middle of a party. What troubles you?” Her smile falters and dips into a frown as she shrugs, trying to push the thought away, but the alcohol nips at her heels.

“I’m fine, just a lot of people is all.” He raises an eyebrow, shaking his head at her.

“I never knew you to be bothered by crowds.” She sighs heavily, doing her best not to be aggravated by his pushiness, but...she can feel his heart on his sleeve, his generosity.  _ I should’ve hid better at the damn tables, but it’s just Iroh…Iroh might be able to help a bit.  _ Rolling her eyes at herself, and knows she can’t hide behind her bangs with them pulled back in the fancy updo crafted for today, so she settles with turning her head hopefully so he can’t see the heat on her cheeks through the makeup.

“Eh. I just feel...behind, I guess? I mean, Sokka and Suki, Aang and Katara, now Zuko and Mai. Marriage, kids. Eh, don’t worry about it, it’s stupid.”

“There is no timeline on love, and there is certainly no rush on that when you are so young. You are ahead of the game, in my opinion,” she tilts her head at him as he speaks and confusion is clearly written all over her face when he chuckles at her expression. “Allow me to clarify. You started a school for teaching your rare talent to others, which very few possess. You helped jumpstart Republic City, and even came up with the idea to help cut down on the crime within. At the risk of sounding so old, I must remind you just how young you are, my friend. Take it day by day, not year by year. That is how you age oneself and miss out on the years you could have enjoyed being young. Have fun, and be yourself. You are not a woman to settle for anything less than the best, if I recall. Perhaps you are doing that in your lovelife as well, without realizing you are doing so. You mustn’t rush it. If it’s meant to be, it will happen in time.” There is a small silence after he speaks and Toph ponders on his words heavily. 

_ Maybe he’s right. But the best is in front of me, and I can’t have it, but I don’t know it’s the best. Stupid. I don’t know how he is romantically, it’s a stupid crush, a childhood one. But what if it’s amazing? What if I’m missing out on so much….He loves her so much, they’re gonna get married and have the sweetest, strongest kids. All of them will. And I’ll be all alone, all on my own like I’ve always been. No one to wake up to, no one to have dinner with, or grow old with.  _ She doesn’t feel the fall of the tears until Iroh’s thumb rubs it away carefully, as to not mess up her makeup. She looks away from him, using the back of her hand to get rid of the rest and she kicks herself for having let her guard down again. There’s the strongest urge for her to run away and hide, but insulting Iroh after his kind words would be worse than humiliation, so she sucks it up as they continue through the rest of the song in silence. 

Before it ends, he looks at her and sighs as she appears a million miles away and he squeezes her hand to gain her attention once more. “I do not want to step where I do not belong, but I have seen you kids go through so much in these last few years and I consider you all like... _ children _ to me. I want nothing more than to see all of you be happy, even you Toph. It is okay to lean on others to find your inner happiness. No one will see you as weak, or think less of you. I think that will help you ‘catch up’ to the others, in a sense. And who knows? Maybe you will find great love in the process.” 

Toph can hear the smile in his voice as he finishes speaking and she smiles weakly along with him, biting back more tears. She was nowhere near close to Lao, and never will be, so the only man she truly looked to for guidance was Iroh. And even when she didn’t want to hear the hard truth, he knew she had to. As the song slowly comes to a close, everyone in the room applauds the musicians, except Toph who instead stands on her tiptoes to throw her arms around Iroh. 

He hugs her tightly to him, breathing a quiet laugh in her ear and they stand like that for just a few minutes. She didn’t quite know what she was looking for from him, or what kind of advice she wanted, but he knew what to say.  _ He always fucking does. Fortune cookie.  _ She laughs in his ear now and balls up her hand to hit him affectionately, but ends up just softly touching her fist to his shoulder. When he pats her forearm, she knows it’s to show her he’s smiling. 

It was a rare occasion when Iroh  _ wasn’t  _ smiling, but today of all days, he couldn’t stop. A boy with the odds stacked against him, his young life ravaged by war, and  _ finally  _ able to share a peaceful life with the woman he loves. He scans the floor for the newlyweds and finds them at the head table, side-by-side with Azula and Ty Lee, the sight bringing a tight feeling to his chest.  _ A life both of them deserved. _ Squeezing Toph’s hand to signal his departure, Iroh decides to make way over to his niece and nephew. She didn’t know if it was the booze messing with her vision, but she assumes he sees something she doesn’t, so she turns to make her way back to the table. 

It wasn’t long before the food is served and the others finally join back at the table, most of them tired out from the dancing, but no one too tired to eat. The table quickly begins buzzing with excitement when Sokka and Suki return with an entire tray of drinks for Team Avatar. Toph reaches across to steal a drink first, the strength of the fire whiskey once more warming her throat as it makes its way down.  _ Faster you drink, the faster you’ll black it out.  _ She swallows it quickly and is surprised to feel Zuko and Mai coming towards the table and she turns to face them. “Food time, knuckleheads, go eat,” she says as the groom puts a hand to her shoulder and laughs as Mai steals chairs from the table nearby to join them. 

“I’m having some packed for our room later, we don’t get this opportunity to hang out often enough anymore.” They shift around the table to make room for the newlyweds and Zuko sits beside Toph, grabbing his wife’s hand. She smiles at him and then looks around at their friends, sighing.

“Yeah, it’s good to see family and all, but the diplomats, the sages,  _ ugh _ . There’s only so many old people I can handle in one night and I’m tapped out. You guys bring the party.” 

“Damn right we do!” Toph smiles and grabs drinks from the tray to give to them as Aang grabs his. He lifts it in the air, looking around at his friends, signaling them to do the same and Sokka nudges Toph’s elbow to give her the hint.

“To Zuko and Mai, our Fire Lord and Lady. Marriage is a roller coaster, but I couldn’t be happier for you guys.” Katara elbows him in the ribs as they laugh.

“To Fire Lord Hotman and Lady Knives!” Toph yells, receiving a few dirty looks from the tables nearby as they toast to the couple as they share a kiss. Aang wasn’t wrong, Mai and Zuko have already had a few bumps to get over, but that’s what love was. Compromise. There was no escaping the beating against the floor as they rubbed each other’s hands, and every time Grumpy looked at her, the pulse was inescapable. It was nearly overpowering the lovebirds to her left as Suki laid her head on Sokka’s shoulder and they whispered sweet nothings to one another.  _ I gotta fuckin’ move, these four as killing me. _ She sighs, gunning for another drink as she decides to lift her feet to cross her legs on the chair. She couldn’t help it, seeing the love around her made her feel sick to her stomach. But Toph ignore that envy stirring with her, whether it was how she just felt in general or if it was the alcohol enhancing it.

It was sad, feeling as if you belonged to no one. She didn’t  _ need  _ to belong to anyone in the first place, but feeling  _ wanted  _ was the intoxicating feeling of love. She knew she was loved, she’d feel like the worst person for saying she didn’t because even here, surrounded by those who had someone they belonged to...she knew she at least belonged to their small family. She would always have a place beside them, no matter the future that awaited her, or the future that awaited Sokka.  _ It was a stupid crush. A crush of a small child, battling the world with her best friend, I’m fucking over this. You’re over this, you idiot. He loves her. It was just a crush…. _

But even she knew. The roots were dug into her—his roots—like a parasite that couldn’t be removed. She was infected, poisoned….and even she couldn’t lie to herself. 

It wasn’t just a stupid crush. 


End file.
